End of the Age - Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37

     Jesus's teaching in Mark 13 is sometimes called "The Little Apocoplype" and tells of what is to come. But Jesus's message to his disciples isn't necessarily about looking for signs of the end times - though that is partially what they asked about. Instead, it is a word of encouragement to sustain them, even with hard times ahead.

     It is hard not to wonder about what tomorrow brings - that is simply part of being human. Along with the fear of the unknown. But Jesus promised us, in the Gospel of John, that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Even in the midst of all of that fear.

     Part of the church's job is to figure out how to share the Good News of hope amidst all that is happening in the world today. Sometimes we can become so paralyzed by this task that we simply do not try at all - thinking we can just wait until the day of Jesus's return. But we are also given a mission right here and now to share that Good News for the sake of the world.

     What do you find challenging about sharing the Gospel Message today?
     

The End of the Age Devotional

March 29th, 2020

Devotional

“End of the Age”

Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Look” - Mark 13:1

  Have you ever seen the signs that say that things are not as they appear? Jesus is trying to wave one of those sings in front of his disciples in this evening’s passage. Jesus and his disciples are leaving the temple, probably after a time of Jesus teaching, and one of the disciples tries to point out to the group the beauty of the place they just came from. Maybe he was really stuck by the outward beauty of the temple or maybe he was just trying to start a conversation, but either way his observations were cut short as Jesus gestures to all of the great buildings around them, including the temple, and saying that the time will come when they are no longer standing - no longer considered to be great. 

Isn’t this true in our lives as well? That things are not always as we think that they appear.  What seems to be the most solid may not last and what seems like an ending is only a beginning. We, like Jesus’s disciples, sometimes get too caught up in outward appearances. We get caught up in rumors and gossip. We get caught up in the limited way that we see things, when Jesus is trying to open up our eyes, the disciple’s eyes, to the much larger picture of what is going on. 

How do we sometimes get caught up in the outward appearance of things?

Prayer: God, we confess that sometimes we get swept up in the appearance of the world around us. We have failed to see with your eyes. We have failed to discern with your heart. Forgive us, O Lord. Give us your eyes to see and your ears to hear so we can see with the heart of Jesus. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Not One Stone” - Mark 13: 2-4

It is believed that the gospel of Mark was written around 70AD, right around the time that the temple of Jerusalem was seized and destroyed. When Mark looked out of his window at the ruins of the temple, did he remember these words of Jesus about not a stone being left upon a stone? 

The disciples interest is now peaked. Tell us when these things will happen. Tell us how to know that they are coming. Just like us, the disciples seem to want to know the future. But instead of directly answering their questions, Jesus instead gave them advice and wisdom that they would need to carry on the purposes of the Kingdom of God in his absence. He warned them that if they spent too much time trying to predict the future, they would end up being deceived and led astray. 

Why do people try to predict the future?

Prayer: Lord, stop us from being caught up in the future. We, like the disciples, are curious about what is to come and when. Let it not distract us from the mission you have laid before us, we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Birth Pains” - Mark 13: 5-8

When I was in college I took a class on New Religious Movements and Cults. Something that I was struck by again and again as we studied each religious movement was the more that folks tried to predict the end times, the more they tried to decipher a set date when Jesus would reappear, the farther they moved away from the heart of the gospel message. And then when their predictions ended up being wrong they would simply say that was God’s will and set about trying to predict it again. 

  But Jesus, as he is teaching his disciples isn’t looking for signs - he is looking for teachings that will sustain them in his absence. He is looking for them to be so grounded in the gospel message that they will not be deceived by false teachings and promises. 

What is Jesus trying to teach his disciples?

Prayer: Almighty God, as frightening as what we read about in your Word is, we also know that these are the birth pains that allow for something new to come forth. Open up our spirits in anticipation of what you are doing in the world. Amen. 

Thursday: “My Words” - Mark 13: 24-31

Our goal isn’t to become an expert in the end times, but instead to live as Christ’s faithful disciples here and now. Christ is looking for day to day faithfulness. Not faithfulness just on the big things, but faithfulness in every aspect of our lives. Faithfulness that will lead others to know the good news of the gospel. Because at the end of the day we are vessels for God’s message. Note, however that we are striving for faithfulness in our own lives. We can become equally distracted when we start to judge the faithfulness of others. In fact, often when we start to judge the faithfulness of others its because we don’t want to look into our own hearts to examine our own motives. 

Further, we need to be discerning. The point of being discerning, however, is not to try to predict when Jesus will come back. The point is to keep ourselves from being led astray by false teachings. 

For years, I used to teach Bible Studies at local universities. Every few years a group of students would ask to study Revelation, which often led to a conversation about why they wanted to study the book of Revelation. The first answer was always the same “so we can prepare ourselves for the end times.” I would often ask students when we entered into this study to be there every single week, and usually over the course of an entire school year, we would slowly work our way through the book, until at the end they world declare “this wasn’t what I thought it was at all.” The book of Revelation instead of teaching them how to know the signs of the end times, often taught them instead how to be faithful and discerning Christians here and now. 

What does it look like in your life to be faithful and discerning?

Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for calling us to a life of faithfulness, a life that seeks after you. Equip us to share your truth and love with the world, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “No One Knows” - Mark 13: 32-37

  Believers must also be patient. Jesus described some awful things that were going to take place in this world and described them simply as birth pangs. As I write this sermon, I have two dear friends who are in the process of giving birth. The first has been having contractions on and off for the last month. However, her doctor has helped her to realize that these aren’t contractions that will lead to her son’s birth, but instead are simply ones to prepare her body for what is to come. She needs to be patient.

  We too, need to learn to be patient. Changes don’t happen in people’s hearts over night. We aren’t called to simply share the gospel message once and then have a friend or family member or stranger come to accept the Lord. If that happens, it is wonderful. But often in takes 15-20 positive interactions with Christians who care about them before they even step foot in a church building, let alone accept the Lord. We need to be patient and keep being faithful in sharing the gospel message, no matter what.

And perhaps it is that no matter what part that is the most difficult. Jesus lists these frightening things that are going to take place but then asks us to continue to witness to the good news which is about hope. For Christians there is always hope, no matter how things appear. How can be we be a people marked by hope as we go about witnessing to the gospel message?

Prayer: God, give us hearts of patience that actively wait for your return. Let us be watchful, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Triumphal Entry” - Mark 11: 1-11

Sabbath, Study, Serve

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37

From the Sermon:

Since the point when Jesus ascended into Heaven his disciples have been looking for his _______.

A time of _______ is coming.

When we are distracted, looking for signs of what is to come, we can miss the ________ of the present.

We are not passively waiting for Jesus to return. We are __________________.

Reflection Questions:

How can we live into the mission of Jesus today?

Why do you think we are so fascinated by Jesus’s teaching on the end of the age?

Prayer:

Most Holy God, we confess that sometimes we get so caught up in thoughts of the future and wondering what will happen that we miss what we are called to do in the present. Let us not overlook anyone that you want us to interact with, Lord. Let us not miss out on what you have called us to do. Send us, in Jesus’s name. Amen. 

The Great Commandment - Mark 12: 28-44

     It should be something that we agree upon - our faith is marked by loving God and loving other people. In other words, what you believe should be shown through action. But we can only show this type of love if Jesus is Lord of our lives.

     It is easy to say that that we have accepted Jesus as our personal savior. It is harder to live, day in and day out, with him being Lord of our lives. When he is Lord, it changes how we see people. It changes how we treat people. It changes how we love. Love is no longer something based on feeling, but based on the love that Christ has for us and sharing that love with the world.

    When Jesus is teaching and having this discussion, he is essentially saying that what people thought the Messiah was about, isn't the point at all. The Messiah wasn't coming to conquer by military might, he was coming to change the world world. How? Through sacrificial love.

    How can we show love to others this week as a reflection of our love for God?

The Great Commandment Devo - Mark 12: 28-44

March 22, 2020

Devotional

“Great Commandment”

Mark 12: 28-44

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Love” - Mark 12: 28-34

  During the last confirmation class one year, I asked the confirmands what rules they have in their families. They listed off the basics - curfews, chores, and respect for their parents among other things. Then I asked about other rules they have in church and in school, and what would happen if there weren’t any rules. Their answer was plan - we would be hurt.

God also has rules for us, commandments. In today’s scripture lesson Jesus tells us to keep the commandments as a way to abide in the love of God.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, which we refer to as the Old Testament, there are 613 commandments. 613 different things to obey in your relationship with God and relationship with each other. 

Jesus took those 613 commandments and summed them up like this - love. Love God with all you have and all you are. And love your neighbor as yourself. This, however, isn’t a sentimental love, based on feelings. It is the love of the God. The love we firmly believe we were shown in Jesus Christ. 

Why do we love our neighbors? How is it connected to loving God?

Prayer: God, we confess that sometimes we make love optional. Sometimes we say that we don’t feel like it today or that someone doesn’t deserve it. In these times remind us, O God, of your great love for us and that it is this love that we are sent forth to share with the world. 

Tuesday: “The Messiah” - Mark 12: 35-37

Jesus connected this love with the meaning of the Messiah. Most people thought that the Messiah was going to come as a military hero, liberating the people from Roman rule. As Jesus taught in the temple that day about the radical new way of understanding the Messiah. 

The Messiah would be called Lord. For us, today, it easy to call Jesus Lord. But when we are doing so we are saying that we are following Jesus as Lord, or head, or ruler, of our lives. This was both a religious and a political term. 

In other words, Jesus should rule every aspect of our lives all the time. 

How is Jesus being Lord an act of love?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending your son to be the Messiah, the one to set us free from sin in our lives. Freed from that sin may we go forth to proclaim your love and your Kingdom for all to hear. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Watch Out” - Mark 12: 38-40

Its an all too familiar story isn’t it - the scribe are called out being unfaithful and the widow is upheld for being faithful in what she gave. But I would invite you to approach today’s scripture passage with open hearts and ears, to see if there is something new to be found in the text.

One common leap we make in this passage is to think that Jesus is warning against all of the scribes. Scribes were people who had knowledge of the scripture and the laws who were able to teach about legal and political documents. Jesus wasn’t warning against the whole group, rather he was warning against those who didn’t follow the laws they were teaching to others. Jesus was speaking out against those scribes who told others that scripture demanded that they take care of the widow, when they devour her themselves. Jesus is warning agains those who mask their unfaithfulness under a veneer of faithfulness and paraded their pretense as piety. 

Jesus was warning against those scribes who were not devoted to what they taught. For devotion is not so much a matter of the head, or knowing something, but a matter of the heart. Devotion cannot be hidden for long under the guise of long prayers or other acts of worship that are meant to make you appear a certain way. Devotion is about what we believe becoming the way that we live. 

How do our words and actions sometimes not match, like the religious teachers of Jesus’s day?

Prayer: Almighty God, help us to recognize our own tendency to not have our words and actions line up. Point out any places in our lives where we may fail to live into your teachings of love. Forgive us, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Widow” - Mark 12: 41-42

What does it truly mean to sacrifice? To give something up so that others do not go without. We are a country that honors and upholds sacrifice. We praise our service men and women for being willing to lay down their lives and those who leave their homes to go clean up after natural disasters or are life long missionaries to other countries, leaving behind everything they know for the sake of the gospel. We smile when we hear stories in the news about children giving up every penny they had in their piggy bank to help other children in need. We honor and praise sacrifice as long as it isn’t incovient to us. As long as we are not the ones being called to sacrifice.

  For if we are honest with ourselves, this Bible passage probably frightens us a bit. Is Jesus really asking us to give up everything we have? Isn’t this type of sacrifice dangerous? When we dwell on the widow’s sacrifice itself, Jesus’ call to us can seem too daunting. Too risky. So we don’t try to sacrifice anything at all - at least not anything that means something to us. But what if the story isn’t about the widow or the gift she brought? What if it wasn’t so much about how much she gave but rather her attitude behind it? For the next few weeks we are going to be focusing on what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ, what are the distinguishing marks or acts we have as disciples. What the widow shows us today is what it means for a disciple to have a heart of devotion.

The dictionary defines devotion as a profound dedication, consecration, or an appropriation to a person or cause. In lay man’s terms when one is devoted they are sold out, all in, or dedicated to with all they have. But in order to be devoted we must sacrifice - sacrifice of our time, money, and talents. For our sacrifice is an act of worship. Which is what the widow did that day. 

How are love and sacrifice connected?

Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for showing us what love looks like. Help us to become more devoted to you every single day, and in our dedication may we worship you and you alone. Amen. 

Friday: “Everything” - Mark 12: 43-44

  The widow offering was also an act of devotion because of how she gave. She didn’t give so that others would notice her or in such a manner where she would draw all of the attention to herself. Instead she gave in such a way that would bring the honor and praise to God, not herself. How often have you found that some of the most devoted people you know are the unsung heroes? The people who do things in the church you never even knew about until one day they are no longer with us to give of their time and talents?  Devotion is about shedding all egotism or greed that we may have, any desire we may possess for bringing attention to ourselves, and taking on the characteristics or God, chiefly those of humility, love, and sacrifice. 

While devotion literally means giving of your whole self, your whole life, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it comes easily. Devotion requires faith and trust. But just because it is hard does not give us an excuse not to try. As Christian disciples we strive to be growing deeper in love with God and our neighbor every day. And that striving is an act of devotion itself. There are going to be times when others will think our devotion is misplaced or foolish. But that which is foolish to man is priceless in the eyes of God. For it is in ability to love Christ so deeply that we are willing to risk it all that we can truly begin to understand the love that Christ showed for us on the cross and the devotion he had to the kingdom of God. May we try each day to fall a little more deeply in love with God and live a life that reflects that the kingdom of God is our first priority. 

What is one thing you can do to fall more deeply in love with God today?

Prayer: God, let our hearts expand for you and your Kingdom. May you reign in our lives, Lord Jesus, now and forever. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “End of the Age” - Mark 13: 1-8, 24-37

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Mark 12: 28-44

From the Sermon:

The _____________________ - to love God and love our neighbor.

Love of God and love of neighbor are deeply ______________.

You could not say that you loved God and then act in an _______ way.

We are still ____________________ today in the world when we live into the Great Commandment.

Jesus was  trying to point out was watch out for ______________________________.

Reflection Questions:

What does it look like for us to love God and love our neighbor today?

Prayer:

Lord God, we thank you for giving us such a simple commandment, now we ask that you equip us to live into it. Show us, O Lord, the ways we are to love you and love our neighbors in the coming days and weeks, all for the glory of your Kingdom. Amen. 

The Parable of the Tenants - Mark 12: 1-17

      While the parable that we find in Mark chapter 12 has been abused over the years to discriminate and incite violence, it really stands as a parable for peace. How do we honor the owner of the vineyard? Certainly not by acting in unjust ways that bring violence upon those who represent him and those that the loves!

     The question is what brings honor to God? 

      The simple answer is how we treat people. It's more than just trying to keep the peace - it's about being a true peace-maker. Martin Luther King Jr said, "“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” Therefore, peace and justice go hand in hand. 

          We need to do more than to speak out against injustice. We need to be people of justice. Because we are representatives of the Kingdom of God in this world! 

       What does it look like to be a person of justice and peace?

The Parable of the Tenants Devo - Mark 12: 1-17

March 15th, 2020

Devotional

“Parables of the Tenants”

Mark 12: 1-17 

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Parables” - Mark 12: 1

  Parables are often described as the teachings Jesus presented in the form of stories. On the surface they were about things that people understood - farming, families, animals - but they always had a deeper meaning beyond the surface as well - one that could shock the hearers into a new frame of mind or new understanding. In fact, when we think we know the meaning of parables, we often miss the point.

This week’s scripture is the last parable found in the Gospel of Mark. A man took care to plant a vineyard. To pick out the choice crop. To tend to the vines. Built walls to protect the coming years of harvest. He took every step to cultivate and protect it. He then entrusted it into the hands of some local farmers - renting it to them, with the understanding that he would receive some of the proceeds.  

What is Jesus trying to point out through this parable?

What do we often overlook in this parable today?

Prayer: God, open our eyes to your scripture this week. Open up our hearts to receive it. Speak to us, O Lord, for we are listening. Amen. 

Tuesday: “When the Season Came” - Mark 12: 2-8

I recently finished reading Margaret Feinberg’s book Scouting the Divine, where she traveled around the country to learn from master vineters, shepherds, bee-keepers, and farmers about how their vocation relates to the Biblical text. When she spent time with a local farmer, she found that his set up was very similar to that described in the parable of the tenants - he rented land from other farmers who have retired, with the understanding that they would receive a certain percentage of the profit from the crops. It made the retired farmers continue to pour resources in the land he was using, continue to give him pointers about how best to care for the crop, because they were invested in the outcome.

The land-owner in the parable sent a servant to collect what he was due, but he was killed. Then he sent another servant for the same purpose, only he was killed as well. Finally, he sent the son he loved best, but he was killed as well.

Are we invested in the work of God?

Prayer: Lord, help us to give our all to the work of your Kingdom. Use us, we pray, to be your ambassadors in the world. Amen. 

Wednesday: “The Owner” - Mark 12: 9

What was Jesus talking about in this parable? On the surface, it looks like a disagreement in terms between the land-owner and the tenants, a feud if you will, but to look deeper into this parable you have to remember who Jesus was teaching and their history. Jesus was teaching a Jewish audience. As soon as he mentioned “vineyard” their minds probably went to thinking about the vineyards in their local area as well as the teaching found in Isaiah chapter 5 - where God through the prophet Isaiah spoke of planting a vineyard on a fertile hillside. God cleared it of all obstacles and only planted the best vines. God did everything to help the vines comes to bear the best fruit, but instead they only bore bad fruit. The people would remember that the teaching from the prophet was about the very people of Israel, chosen by God, but who often strayed.

The tenants in this parable were the people of Israel and their leaders, who had misused their status as children of God and the power the comes with that claim. A caution, over the yeas, this parable has been misused by some Christians to say horrible things about our Jewish brothers and sisters. We have to remember that Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience because these were his people. Christians did not exist yet, as we have been learning from the book of Acts, but this parable is just as true today about Christians misusing their status and power as children of God. We have dishonored God the times we, too, have mistreated others because they were not Christian. Or the times we have not cared about our own Christian brothers and sisters because we didn’t think it was our problem. We too have disgraced the vineyard.

How have we disgraced the vineyard?

Prayer: Almighty God, we come before you today and confess that we have not always acted as we should have. We have not always protected your vineyard or worked for its harvest. Forgive us, Lord. Amen. 

Thursday: “Cornerstone” - Mark 12:10-11

Who are the servants that are being killed? The prophets of God. Those that God has sent to get people back on the right path - the Micah’s and Isaiah’s and Hosea’s - those who were sent by God with the purpose of reforming the people, only to be slain because they people did not hear what they wanted to say. During the time of the prophets, the health of the people of Israel was often linked with the health of the vineyard, under the belief that God would bless the people with a good crop if they were obedient. But there were times, even during the time of Jesus, when the vineyards were struggling and it was often linked to disobedience and injustice. In fact, those hearing this parable straight from Jesus’s lips probably were thinking about those in religious and political power who were unjustly buying up parcel after parcel of land for vineyards and linking them together - in order to displace the peasants who worked on the margins in-between parcels of land.

In the parable before us, it was not just the servants who were killed, but also the beloved son. The tenants killed him on the mis-belief that they would inherit all that was his upon his death. Jesus was speaking of his own upcoming death - and the people who called for his death, would be misguided as well - thinking that by killing his body his message would be silence and they would have all of their power back, but of course this isn’t what happened, as the people desecrate Christ’s message are still alive and preaching over 2,000 years later.

How have we rejected modern day prophets of God?

Prayer: God, we thank you that you do not give up on us - sending us your messengers again and again. Let us pay attention. Let us set aside anything that would distract us from their message! Give us hearts that repent, we pray. Amen 

Friday: “Against Them” - Mark 12: 12-17

  What was the response of the land-owner? To kill the tenants and leave the vineyard in tact, but in the hands of someone else - an act of justice not vengeance or revenge. Jesus was effectively telling the religious leaders of the day that they either needed to reform their ways and act justly, or they would be replaced. Of course, they did not like this teaching at all, just as we don’t like hearing it today, if we are using our religion for our own gain in power and prestige. 

Sometimes we need to have Jesus speaking the parables to us in order for us to see ourselves clearly. For when we are not careful we can become blinded by our own desires - just like the religious leaders in Jesus’s day. Using our status as Christians to foster our own gain, isn’t the point. It isn’t the type of life that Jesus modeled with his sacrificial leadership either. Instead, we are called above all to honor God. To bear fruit that is worthy of the Kingdom. To act justly and love mercy. To be the hands and feet of Christ. Why do you follow the Christ today and who are you seeking to honor with your faith - yourself or Christ?

How can we bear fruit that honors God?

Prayer: God, free us from the chains of status and prestige that trick us into thinking false thoughts about you and your Kingdom. Set our hearts on fire for that which you desire alone. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Great Commandment” - Mark 12: 28-44

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Mark 12: 1-17

From the Sermon:

In Mark 12 we find the last ________ that Jesus told someone.

Parables are stories that use every day things that people would understand from the world around them to explain a ________________________.

Over the years, the prophets of old had used the Vineyard as a metaphor for Israel’s _____________.

 Jesus is trying to offer the leaders and opportunity to ________.

But God isn’t trying to point out our sin in order to gloat - God is trying to point out our sin to invite us to change! It is a ________________.

Reflection Questions:

Who are we tying our allegiance to in order to get ahead?

How are we living as God’s people?

Prayer:

Lord, sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking that we are in charge, when really we are simply your stewards. Help us to align our priorities so we can reflect your Kingdom to the world around us, we pray. Amen. 

Bartimaeus Healed - Mark 10: 32-52

    James and John continue our theme of the last few weeks found in the Gospel of Mark of adventures in missing the point. They come to Jesus and essentially ask that he give them power in his Kingdom. Missing the point that it isn't about human power - and it isn't Jesus's to give away in the first place.

    Jesus is marching towards his death with courage. He knows the consequences of what is to come in Jerusalem, yet he believes that his sacrifice is worth it. But now he pauses because his disciples, the ones who are going to be His ambassadors here on earth when he is gone don't get it. At all.

   They were missing the point that what they are being called to was not prestige and power, but instead a sacrificial commitment of a life that is lived for God's Kingdom.
 
   We, at times, are also like James and John. We miss the point. We miss what the Kingdom of God is about and the sacrifice Christ is calling us to as we seek to follow him. We, too, need a reminder this Lenten season about the central focus on the Kingdom of God.

Bartimaeus Healed Devo - Mark 10: 32-52

March 8th, 2020

Devotional

“Bartimaeus Healed”

Mark 10: 32-52

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Jesus Walked Ahead” - Mark 10:32-34

  I love to travel. Nothing thrills me quite as much as loading up the car for a road trip. While I enjoy traveling alone, most of my journeys are taken with other people, which creates deep bounds that cannot be shaken. When you go on a long trip with someone you get to know them in ways that are different if you only see them a few hours each day. Going on the journey with someone lets you know what makes them them - what they like and dislike, what irritates and soothes them. 

  The disciples were on a journey with Jesus. A three year journey were they slept where he slept, walked where he walked, ate what he ate. They were with Jesus every day, listening to his teachings as they went from town to town. And yet, the disciples didn’t quite understand Jesus - what made him tick. Last week we discussed how they didn’t understand his teachings about his own death and resurrection. This week, we find the disciples, chiefly James and John not understanding what his kingdom is about. 

What did the disciples learn from Jesus on their journey and what did they still not fully understand?

Prayer: God, we thank you that as we spend more time with you, you reveal more of your heart and your ways to us. We confess that sometimes we think that we know everything there is to know about you, but this is not the case. Continue to gently guide us, Precious Lord, we pray. Amen. 

Tuesday: “James and John ” - Mark 10: 35-37

James and John stated out with a statement that I think many of us make in one form or another as well, “we will do whatever you ask of us, Jesus”. “Whatever you need”. “Wherever you want us to go.” Of course they had another goal with their statement - we will give you what you want, if you give us what we want. We make much smaller versions of bargaining when we are on a journey with someone. You pick the restaurant we stop at this time and I’ll pick it next time. You drive now, I’ll drive later. We live in a world where we think we deserve for things to be equal and balanced, but that isn’t always the case - especially in our faith journeys.

  We seem to have bought into this lie, that simply isn’t Biblical, that if we are a good enough person or serve Christ enough with our lives, then we will avoid suffering. If we tell Jesus what he wants to hear, that we will do whatever you ask of us, Jesus, then our lives will go smoothly. But that isn’t the way, it works. It wasn’t that way for James and John and it isn’t that way for us. 

  Jesus catches on to their intent with their promise right away and turns in back around on them - what do you want me to do for you? And of course they had a response ready to give him - let us sit beside you in your glory. Even with all of the talk of suffering and death, they still thought that Jesus had come to be a military leader to conquer Rome and that they could be beside him, in all his glory, when the final victory is won. They mis-understood Jesus’s Kingdom being about political authority instead of the Kingdom of God. 

But Jesus, instead of chastising them, Jesus responds by once again telling them that they missed the point - they don’t realize wha they are asking for. Their quick response to Jesus’s deep question show that the did not slow down to truly reflect upon what he was asking or to pray about their response. We too, can get caught up in this cycle. We hurry past the question in order to make our answer known. We bypass the thoughtfulness of the question with our quick response. All because we don’t understand what Jesus means, and that makes us uncomfortable.

How do you react to James and John’s request of Jesus? What thoughts and feelings come to your mind?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that we can see a bit of ourselves in James and John. Sometimes we think more about our glory than yours. Sometimes we focus more on what we can get out of discipleship than how we can serve. Forgive us, Lord. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Are You Able?” - Mark 10: 38-40

Jesus confronts the uncomfortable nature of the questions, answers, and conversation head on with another question. Jesus led through his stories and questions and he provoked people to look deeper into their hearts, no matter how uncomfortable it made them feel. He asked if they could drink from this cup - the cup of pain and suffering - and be baptized with the baptism of death - not for the sake of their glory, but so others may come to know the Lord. He essentially asked them if they had the courage to suffer for the sake of God’s glory alone. To which, once again, they quickly answered, we can. 

Tell of a time you quickly replied to the Lord only to later discover what was truly being asked of you. 

Prayer: Almighty God, help us to learn that we cannot answer you by our own strength alone. That we need to rely upon your mercy and grace to live into your call on our lives. Lead us, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Servant” - Mark 10: 41-45

The other ten heard about the conversation and became even more upset. Jesus took the moment to teach them about servants hearts and giving one’s very self, sacrificially for others, but the moment was still lost. Jesus was trying to model for the disciples, both with his teachings and how he lived his life what it meant to be a servant. But like those disciples so long ago, we miss the point today. We want all the glory and not the work. We want things to run smoothly without the sacrifice. We want to be the idea people and not the servants. We want the public honor without the suffering.

  Jesus was trying to show his disciples, so long ago and us today, that authority is earned with service and suffering. And we are to live lives not focused on being honored by human standards, but instead focused on Kingdom things - things we never considered as noble before - like suffering and servanthood. 

What does it mean to be a servant?

Prayer: God, thank you for calling us to follow you. Give us servant hearts and minds so we can go out and make your name known through our words and actions, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Bartimaeus” - Mark 10: 46-52

  While Bartimaeus found healing from his physical blindness, the Gospel of Mark in this particular scripture passage seems to also be inviting us to address James and John’s spiritual blindness as well. 

We all stand in need of healing. Some of us can readily name what we need healed from, but for others we are not yet aware. Some are physical aliments, others are matters of the heart. But we all stand in need of God’s healing and grace. 

What has God healed you of? What is God continuing to heal you of?

Prayer: God, we join with Bartimaeus asking O Lord, to be healed. We humbly come before you, asking that you examine our hearts and point out to us any areas we may not be aware of so we can bring them before your throne of mercy. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Parables of the Tenants” - Mark 12: 1-17

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Mark 10: 32-52

From the Sermon:

James and John missed the entirety of the _________ and the __________ of what is to come.

They’ve also missed the point that this hope that we have in Jesus isn’t about _______________________________.

Jesus poses to them a ___________.

James and John were thinking in terms of the __________.

Bartimaeus  makes this Messianic statement - and it made Jesus _____________.

Bartimaeus asked to be _________.

Reflection Questions:

How is it with your soul?

Where are you in need of healing?

Where are we blind like James and John?

Prayer:

Lord, often we are blind to the sin in our own hearts. We are still driven by the ways the world and not the ways of your Kingdom. Forgive us, Lord. Heal us. Help us to see with your eyes. Amen. 

Frist Last, Last First - Mark 10: 17-31

     The Rich Man was confused from the start with the question he asked Jesus in Mark, chapter 10. He started off asking what he can do. As if eternal life was something that he had control over. If he only did the right things, said the right things, then he would be given eternal life as a reward.

      In some ways, we get confused around this as well. When we ask "How do I get to Heaven?" often we are looking for a check-list of good deeds to cross off, or the right words to say in order to be given what we have earned - our place in Heaven.

     But for the Rich Man and us, we need to be reminded that eternity is a gift from a gracious God. None of us can earn it on our own accord. We can never do enough good things to earn a place in the Kingdom. Instead, we are invited to be a part of it because of God's mercy and righteous alone, not ours.

     We need to seek first after God and God's Kingdom, even if it means reprioritizing our lives here and now in order to follow after the heart of God.

First Last, Last First Devo - Mark 10: 17-31

March 1st, 2020

Devotional

“First Last, Last First”

Mark 10: 17-31

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “What Must I Do?” - Mark 10: 17

  There is a popular Christian chorus that declares. “At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life - I give it all to you.” Such commitment to surrender our lives to Christ is a journey - not a one time choice. It is a path that we choose to tread day in and day out.

  Today’s text starts with an interruption. Jesus is on his way to the next town, but before he could leave a man ran up to him and begged him for the answer to just one question - what must I do to inherit eternal life? 

  Is that not a question that many of us have asked and heard over the years in its various forms: how can I be certain that I am saved? How do I get into heaven? 

I remember a Bible study I was teaching a few years ago about evangelism - sharing our faith. One of the women in the room with the deepest spirituality I had ever encountered shared with the group that she wasn’t sure she was saved because she didn’t have an earth shattering moment where Jesus entered her life in such a way that she had what she dubbed “a salvation story to share”. Its one of the questions I hear most often from church folks, who like this woman, have grown up in the church hearing about Christ and growing closer to him each day, but wondering if that is truly enough.

What is the man asking with his question? 

Prayer: God, we desire to follow your will and way, but at times, O Lord, it does not seem clear to us. Speak to us, O Lord. Light forth your path and give us obedient hearts to follow. Amen. 

Tuesday: “You Know the Commandments” - Mark 10: 18-20

This man is wondering the same thing. How does one know for sure that they are going to have eternal life? But Jesus took his question and turned it on its head. First, he took time to instruct the man about God - directing that man back to the source of all that is good - God alone. Even before he could get to his question, the man seemed to get confused  - referring to Jesus as the good teacher, not because he recognized him as Messiah and Lord, as Peter did in another passage of scripture, but because he noticed that Jesus seemed to have something special about his teachings and healings. 

What about us? Are we just as confused as the man in this scripture lesson? Are we confused about who and what is good in our lives? Good isn’t just keeping the letter of the law, like the man said he did, good is keeping in the spirit of the law - which means doing that which honors God. Are we doing what we do because we think we should or because it is the law of scripture or are we responding to God’s goodness, power and love? Are we doing what we ought to do or are we lead to do as a response to God’s saving grace in our lives? 

How do we define what is good in our lives?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes our thoughts and vocabulary need a theological makeover. We are so used to calling that which we like ‘good’, but you invite us to examine whether it is truly from you and you alone. Give us your eyes, O Lord, so we can truly perceive and respond to that which is good. Amen. 

Wednesday: “You Lack One Thing” - Mark 10: 21-22

For the man, Jesus’s next response, next teaching for him was a hard truth - he may be keeping the letter of the law, but his wealth was getting in the way of knowing the goodness of God and responding freely to that goodness in his life. Before we start to chastise this man I think we need to examine our own hearts this evening and ask what is keeping our own hearts from receiving and responding freely to the goodness of God. Our judgment of others? Our need to accumulate wealth or possession? Our need to follow God on our own terms, instead of responding to the call of God on our lives? What could potentially block us from God’s goodness is going to be different for each of us. For this man it was his wealth. For us it could be something entirely different - but we need to stop and examine our hearts before we can renounce it.

  This man was probably expecting from Jesus’s first question and response to hear that he was all good - that he was guaranteed an in for eternity - but once again Jesus didn’t give his second answer in terms of eternal life, but instead spoke about having treasure in heaven. It is as if Jesus is asking the man where is your heart? What’s most important to you?

What may be blocking you from fully following God?

Prayer: Almighty God, help us to recognize anything in our hearts and lives that may be a stumbling block, preventing us from chasing after you. Confront us, O Lord, and cleanse us, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “How Hard” - Mark 10: 23-27

The man’s face fell and he went away. He was confronted by hard questions and even harder truths and it was more than he could bear. Sometimes when we look into our hearts and start to really ask what is most important to us, we may become shocked and disappointed with the answer. Perhaps you have been traveling along your journey with Christ and think that you have it all together - you go to worship, serve the Lord, and are feeling good about everything - only to hear the question of Christ - where is your treasure? And you start to look deep into your heart and realize that things aren’t as they seem. That you are following Christ but only the way you want to, only the extent you want to, instead of giving your very all to God. 

Why was the man unable to follow Jesus?

Prayer: God of Grace, thank you for reminding us in today’s scripture that you alone have the power to save. May we trust in you, looking to the only one who makes this possible - Jesus Christ - as ruler of our hearts and lives. Amen. 

Friday: “First Will be Last” - Mark 10: 28-31

  The man couldn’t give up his wealth, because there as power, prestige, and privilege in his wealth and he was looking for that same power, prestige, and privilege from Christ telling him that it was all good, he was all set, and that he was on his way to inheriting eternal life. But Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark, teaches not about eternal life, but about the Kingdom of God - which is both ever present and yet to come. Christ teaches that the Kingdom comes from God’s very self, God’s goodness, and as he teaches about it more and more it starts to hit closer to home, becoming relevant and challenging. For in the Gospel of Mark, the Kingdom of God was much bigger than getting to heaven when you die - its the issue of surrendering your heart to the work of God here and now. And the man just couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

The harder question is can we? Are we more concerned with where we are going to go when we die than honoring God with our lives here and now? Are we more about doing things within our own power, or doing the impossible for the sake of God’s kingdom? Can we surrender our lives for the sake of God’s Kingdom?

Let us take time this season to reflect on our own hearts asking God if we are truly surrendering our very selves for the sake of the Kingdom and if there is anything that is blocking us from God’s goodness.

How is the way of Christ a reversal of the way of the world?

Prayer: God, let our very beings be so focused on you and your Kingdom that it is the desire of our hearts. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Bartimaeus Healed”  - Mark 10: 32-52